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Author News & Interviews

New from New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu comes WARCROSS, a dazzling adventure set in a future not too far off from our own time. In the world of WARCROSS, people worldwide are constantly logging into Warcross, a virtual reality combat game. Teenage hacker Emika Chen is a great player, but an even better bounty hunter. Struggling to make ends meet, she hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championship and becomes an overnight sensation. Convinced she is going straight to prison, Emika panics, but she soon receives a call from the game's mysterious billionaire creator --- and he has an unusual offer that she simply cannot refuse. In celebration of the release of WARCROSS, we interviewed Marie Lu about her inspiration for the book, her love of gaming, and what she hopes readers will take away from the scientific developments that make Warcross possible. Read below to see her answers.

Last year, A.J. Hartley introduced readers to his steampunk drama, STEEPLEJACK. In this book, readers met Anglet Sutonga, Hartley's fearless heroine, who works as a Steeplejack in the city of Bar-Selehm. When her new apprentice is murdered, Anglet sets off on a harrowing journey to uncover his murderer and expose the unrest rising in the streets of her city. One year later, Hartley has delivered to his readers a sequel to the series, FIREBRAND. Anglet must now use all that she has learned to secretly assist a political leader of Parliament. Her investigation into the government's stolen secret weapon leads her to infiltrate Elitus, the most exclusive social club in the city. But Anglet soon learns that the secrets behind one theft could lead to a whole conspiracy against the most vulnerable in Bar-Selehm. In celebration of the release of Hartley's sequel, our own Matthew Burbridge spoke with Hartley about his thrilling series, including the inspiration behind his writing and the possibility of mapping his imagined world. Read below to find out more!

Last year, readers were introduced to Gena Showalter's FIRSTLIFE, a book set in a world where life begins after death. The star of the book, Tenley "Ten" Lockwood, is only 17, but has spent the last year of her life in an insane asylum --- not because of a mental instability, but because she has refused to allow her parents to choose where she will live after she dies. You see, in the Everlife, your Firstlife is only a dress rehearsal for what comes after, and Ten is caught in the middle of a deadly battle for her soul. With two powerful, but deadly, realms fighting over her, Ten must stay alive long enough to make the right choice. Now, Showalter returns with LIFEBLOOD, the explosive sequel where we reunite with Ten, who must learn about her chosen realm from the ground up --- all while struggling to launch her first mission. In celebration of the release of LIFEBLOOD, Teen Board member Isabel C. had the chance to ask Gena a few questions about the Everlife series, her favorite characters, and where the series will go next. Read below to see her answers!

In an increasingly-technology driven world, lots of themes and ideas we thought we totally understood are taking on new meanings. For example, did you know you can technically be considered an athlete if you're a professional video game player? Author Dan Wells explores these and other concepts in his action-packed Mirador series, which began last year with BLUESCREEN. In celebration of the release of ONES AND ZEROES, the second book in the series, Teenreads.com interviewed Dan Wells, author of the New York Times bestselling Partials Sequence and the John Cleaver series. This action packed series will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you wondering about the future of technology. In our interview, you'll learn about what inspired this fantastic series!

Conspiracies and conspiracy theories make for great stories --- who is hiding the truth, and why? In UNFOLDING, by Jonathan Friesen, a teenage boy named Jonah must investigate these and other questions when his town falls to chaos after a dangerous premonition made by his best friend, Stormi. With so many questions and complicated layers, UNFOLDING makes for a real page-turner, and we had to learn more from Friesen about his inspiration. Teen Board member Jeremy H., who reviewed the book, actually knew Friesen from his former writing course, so we were delighted when he agreed to answer some questions for us. In this interview with Teenreads.com's Jeremy H., Friesen discusses his writing style, which character he would love to meet and offers advice to up-and-coming YA authors.